The typical process flow for a GHMC birth certificate is as follows:
1. Births at hospital (which is most of the cases unless u trust a mid-wife more than a obstetrician) are reported by the hospital based on a form you fill before getting discharged. You do not need to mention the child's name in the form, although it is said that speeds up the process. If you're like most Indians unprepared for whether the child is a boy or a girl, you're likely not to have a name handy before discharge. Thats perfectly fine.
2. The hospitals are required to send the details to GHMC within a stipulated time and then it is entered into the Birth Register for the year. The Circle and Ward of GHMC where the birth took place is mentioned. You would need to get that from the hospital so that ists handy during rest of the process.
3. Once the birth enters the Birth Register, it is ideally then updated in the computer records so that it is visible in E-Seva website. This can sometimes take as long as 5 weeks (if you're unlucky like me) until which the only birth certificate you can obtain is a non-computerized version issued by the SUB-REGISTRAR. This requires you pay a visit to the Births & Deaths office of the Health & Santitation Dept within the Circle.
For Fernandez Hospital, this was Circle-8, Ward 4A and the births & deaths office is near Osmania Medical College, Putlibowli. Looks more like a warehouse than a proper GHMC office.
P.S.: The birth certificate issued by the Sub-registrar although on official GHMC stationery and seal and signature, is NOT accepted for issuing a Passport. I had to return from the Tatkaal counter after a horrendous wait. Will write a separate blog on that ordeal.
4. Once the E-Seva records show the birth details, you have to first ascertain if the child's name is updated. The only way this can happen already without requesting for it, is either you mentioned it in the hospital or if you requested a birth certificate from the Sub-Registrar at which point the name was mentioned. If its neither case, then a form needs to be filled for "Child Name Inclusion" signed by both parents and submitted at E-Seva. This is an obvious pre-requisite before the birth certificate can be issued. I'm not too sure if this can be clubbed along with the request for birth certificate.
5. There is an online payment option to request the birth certificate using a net banking/credit card option. This will be couriered to the address provided. Alternately, you could apply at designated E-seva centres where the certificate needs to be collected on arrival.
I applied at the e-seva near Miyapur on 13-Sep and it arrived on 18-Sep, which was better than my expectations.
P.S.: Not all E-seva centres provide birth certificate service. Only the major ones where Passport applications are accepted typically process Birth Certificate requests. The list of e-seva centres accepting Passport applications can be obtained from here. The rest of the "mini" E-Seva's, including the cybercafes in the nukkad, just do utility bill services.
